Bluefield Area Transit Title VI Policy
Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act requires that “No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
If you believe you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin, or disability, or you have a complaint about the accessibility of our transit system or service, you can file a formal complaint. Please provide all facts and circumstances surrounding your issue or complaint so we can fully investigate the incident.
How do you file a complaint?
You can call us, download and use our Title VI/ADA complaint form at www.ridethebatbus.com, or request a copy of the form by writing or phoning:
Bluefield Area Transit
PO Box 1838
3208 John Nash Blvd.
Bluefield, WV 24701
304-327-8418
You may file a signed, dated and written complaint no more than 180 days from the date of the alleged incident. The complaint should include:
-Your name, address and telephone number. (See Question 1 of the complaint form.)
-How, why, and when you believe you were discriminated against. Include as much specific, detailed information as possible about the alleged acts of discrimination, and any other relevant information. (See Questions 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the complaint form.)
-The names of any persons, if known, whom the director could contact for clarity of your allegations. (See Question 10 of the complaint form.)
Please submit your complaint form to address listed below:
John Reeves – Title VI Coordinator
Bluefield Area Transit
PO Box 1838
Bluefield, WV 24701
Do you need complaint assistance?
If you are unable to complete a written complaint due to a disability or if information is needed in another language we can assist you. Please contact us at 304-327-8418 or info@ridethebatbus.com.
How will your complaint be handled?
Bluefield Area Transit investigates complaints received no more than 180 days after the alleged incident. Bluefield Area Transit will process complaints that are complete. Once a completed complaint is received, Bluefield Area Transit will review it to determine if Bluefield Area Transit has jurisdiction.
Bluefield Area Transit will generally complete an investigation within 90 days from receipt of a complaint. If more information is needed to resolve the case, Bluefield Area Transit may contact you. Unless a longer period is specified by Bluefield Area Transit, you will have ten (10) days from the date of the request to send the requested information. If the requested information is not received, Bluefield Area Transit may administratively close the case. A case may also be administratively closed if you no longer wish to pursue it.
After an investigation is complete, Bluefield Area Transit will send you a letter summarizing the results of the investigation, stating the findings and advising of any corrective action to be taken as a result of the investigation. If you disagree with Bluefield Area Transit's determination, you may request reconsideration by submitting a request in writing to the Bluefield Area Transit director within seven (7) days after the date of Bluefield Area Transit letter, stating with specificity the basis for the reconsideration. The director will notify you of the decision either to accept or reject the request for reconsideration within ten (10) days. In cases where reconsideration is granted, the director will issue a determination letter to the complainant upon completion of the reconsideration review
Do I have other options for filing a complaint?
We encourage that you file the complaint with us. However, you may file a complaint with the West Virginia Division of Public Transit or the Federal Transit Administration.
West Virginia Division of Public Transit
Building 5, Room 650
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East Charleston, WV 25305
(304) 558-0428
DOTPublicTransit@wv.gov
Federal Transit Administration
Office of Civil Rights
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590